ABEOKUTA – Mr Suraj Adekunbi, the Speaker, Ogun House of Assembly, on Wednesday urged Community Development Associations (CDAs) in the state to include vigilance service in their programmes.
Adekunbi made the call in Abeokuta at a stakeholders’ forum on a bill for a law to provide for community development programmes in Ogun State.
The speaker, represented by his Deputy, Mr Tola Banjo, said that the security of lives and property in the community should be a collective effort.
He said the associations should be conscious of their environment, adding that the bill, when passed, would give legal backing to the activities of CDAs in the state.
He said the essence of the bill was to form the basis of operational guidelines for community development councils in the state.
The Chairman, House Committee on Community Development and Cooperatives, Mr Victor Fasanya, said the ideas and views of members of the associations would be inculcated into the proposed law.
Fasanya said the activities of CDA’s would be streamlined in tandem with the various developmental projects being executed by the current administration.
He said views and recommendations of the stakeholders would be considered by the committee.
Mr Olatokunbo Akinsowon, the Chairman of CDAs in the state, commended the assembly and the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives for putting together the proposed law.
The chairman said the bill would give legal backing to the activities of CDAs in the state.
Speaking earlier, Mr Duro Aiyedogbon, the Commissioner for Community Development, said the bill would not usurp the powers of local governments over CDAs.
Aiyedogbon said the state government would improve on the socio-economic development of the state, adding that the yearnings of the citizens would always be considered.
The forum was attended by members of CDAs across the state, officials of the Ministry of Justice, the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) and the local councils.(NAN)
